OUTGOING Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, on Saturday, June 28, signed National Maritime Council (NMC) Resolution 002 (2025), recommending the adoption of “standard names” for 131 islands and features in the West Philippine Sea.
This resolution aims to establish a coherent nomenclature amid ongoing territorial disputes in the region.
In his announcement, Manalo highlighted the importance of recognizing these names, noting that they pertain to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), which the Philippines officially regards as part of the province of Palawan.
Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo
The KIG is widely known internationally as the Spratly Islands, an area that has been a source of contention due to overlapping claims from multiple coastal nations.
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The resolution comes at a time when naming conventions have become a critical aspect of the disputes in the South China Sea, where six coastal countries lay claim to various parts of the sea.
Different nations have adopted their own names for significant features in the area, leading to confusion on the international stage.
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Historically, most contested maritime features have been referred to using internationally recognized names.
This initiative follows an administrative order enacted by former president Benigno Aquino III in 2012, which officially designated the waters on the western side of the Philippine archipelago as the West Philippine Sea.
The move reflects the Philippines’ continued efforts to assert its territorial rights.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued an executive order in 2024, establishing the National Maritime Council to formulate unified policies and strategies regarding maritime security and domain awareness.
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As Manalo prepares to return as the Philippines’ envoy to the United Nations in New York, he will be succeeded by Ma. Theresa Lazaro, the current undersecretary for bilateral relations and Asean, who has played a pivotal role in the country’s negotiations within the regional bloc and with China.
Chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the NMC also has as members the secretaries of the Departments of National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, and Environment, and the National Security Adviser.
